1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly to a refrigerator which can effectively distribute a chilled air into a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a refrigerator is a device for storing foodstuffs at a relatively low temperature in order to maintain a freshness of the foodstuff. The refrigerator comprises a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator. It is common knowledge that a working fluid called as a refrigerant circulates through a thermodynamic cycle. In such systems, a low pressure refrigerant is compressed by the compressor and leaves the compressor as a vapor with an elevated pressure, and then condenses in the condenser, resulting in a transfer of a heat to an environment surrounding the condenser. A high pressure liquid refrigerant then passes through the expansion valve in which some of the liquid refrigerant flashes into vapor. The remaining refrigerant is vaporized in the low pressure evaporator, resulting in a transfer of a heat to the evaporating refrigerant from the environment, thereby cooling a surrounding air. The chilled air generated at a periphery of the evaporator is blown into a freezer compartment by a fan. The refrigerant vapor is then drawn into the compressor, and the cycle begins again. In short, in the evaporator, the refrigerant absorbs a heat from the surroundings and, in the condenser, it gives a heat off.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional refrigerator 100.
As shown in FIG. 1, refrigerator 100 comprises a cabinet 110. Cabinet 110 is formed therein with a refrigerating compartment 130 for receiving foodstuffs which are to be maintained fresh at a relatively low temperature and a freezer compartment 120 for receiving foodstuffs which are to be maintained in a frozen state. Freezer compartment 120 is formed at a rear portion thereof with a space section 140 in which an evaporator 160 for generating a chilled air is installed. Freezer compartment 120 and space section 140 are divided by a wall section 150.
A compressor (not shown) is in stalled below refrigerating compartment 130 for compressing and circulating the refrigerant. The vapor-phase refrigerant with high pressure and high temperature which has passed through the compressor gives a heat to a surroundings in the condenser (not shown), and is condensed into liquid phase. The liquid-phase refrigerant then passes through the expansion valve(not shown) in which some of the liquid-phase refrigerant flashes into vapor. The remaining refrigerant is vaporized in the low pressure evaporator 160 installed at a predetermined position in space section 140, resulting in a transfer of a heat to the evaporating refrigerant from the environment, thereby cooling a surrounding air.
Wall section 150 is formed at an upper portion thereof with a first duct 155 for introducing the chilled air generated by the evaporator into freezer compartment 120. A first fan 180 driven by a first motor 182 is installed in space section 140 at a position corresponding to a position of first duct 155, for smoothly blowing a portion of the chilled air generated at a periphery of evaporator 160 into freezer compartment 120. The rest of the chilled air is blown by a second fan 184 driven by a second motor 186 and flows into refrigerating compartment 130 through a second duct 145 formed in a rear wall of cabinet 110.
The chilled air flown into refrigerating and freezer compartments 130 and 120 absorbs a heat from stored foodstuffs and returns to space section 140 through return passages 135 and 125 formed at a wall section 152 so as to be cooled again in the above-described manner.
In conventional refrigerator 100, a plurality of fans are required in order to blow the chilled air generated by evaporator 160 into first and second ducts 155 and 145 so that an inner structure of space section 140 is complicated. Also, a respective amount of the chilled air flowing into freezer and refrigerating compartments 120 and 130 cannot be controlled, so the temperatures of freezer and refrigerating compartments 120 and 130 are not properly maintained.
On the other hand, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,092 issued to Kim et al. discloses a device for controlling an amount of a chilled air flowing into a refrigerating compartment by providing a control plate at a duct communicated with the refrigerating compartment. However, when the chilled air is flowing into the refrigerating compartment, the chilled air collides with the control plate so as to shift a position of the control plate, so the amount of the chilled air cannot be properly controlled.